Lobster Claw Syndrome is a severe genetic deformation syndrome which is largely identified through a missing digit on the hand or foot and a resulting pronounced cleft in the affected limb. This cleft (or split as we would commonly call it) makes the hand or foot resemble a lobster claw.
Lobster Claw Syndrome is medically known by several other names including:
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SHFM (Split Hand/Foot Formation)
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Ectrodactyly
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Split and Deformity
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Cleft Hand or (Cleft Foot)
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Ectrodactilia of the Hand (or Foot)
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and Karsch-Neugebauer syndrome.
Perhaps the most commonly used medical term is Ectrodactyly, which is a contraction of two Greek words: ektoma (meaning abortion) and daktylos (meaning finger), literally translated as abortion of the finger.
The Incidence Of Lobster Claw Syndrome
Lobster Claw Syndrome is actually fairly common. Around 1 out of every 60,000 babies are born with the symptoms of this syndrome of which there are several forms, the most common of which is Type 1. As a congenital syndrome there is a 50% chance that any person having Lobster Claw Syndrome could pass it on to their children.
Type I Lobster Claw Syndrome
This is one of the most common forms of Lobster Claw Syndrome. It is linked to a particular area of chromosome 7 which includes the homeobox genes DLX5 and DLX6. These genes show many similarities with a gene named distal-less found in insects. The distal-less gene in insects controls the development of limbs, and when it flawed in a particular mutations of the distal part of limbs can be seen or the limbs themselves can be completely missing.
Lobster Claw Syndrome Treatment
People born with Lobster Claw Syndrome can lead a normal life although such a visible deformity will obviously attract attention and may make life difficult for young children born with this condition: prosthetic treatment may help in some cases.
Lobster Claw Syndrome sufferers may benefit from occupational and physical therapy from an early age. Such treatments can help patients to learn how to manipulate their hands in order to write, pick items up and handle things to such a degree as to be nearly fully functional.
There are various other treatments and techniques that can be called upon to improve the appearance of hands or feet affected by Lobster Claw Syndrome, but these treatments largely make the particular limb appear more “normal”. Surgery carried out upon the hands or feet affected will not result in them functioning in exactly the same way those belonging to non-sufferers of Lobster Claw Syndrome.
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